


Expectations

by No_thank_you_go_away



Category: Psych (TV 2006)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-23
Updated: 2020-08-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:00:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 7,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26075302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/No_thank_you_go_away/pseuds/No_thank_you_go_away
Summary: "Saoirse O'Sullivan--" "Spencer." "Get out." *chair scraping against floor* "Saoirse... Spencer. Twenty-three years old. Five foot six. Curly, chin-length, chocolate-brown hair. Hazel--" "They're green and brown, not hazel." "I said get out!" *door opening and closing* "...Green and brown eyes, pale skin, seventy-seven pounds. Slight build... hm." *pen scratching on paper* "Petite build. Stubborn, quiet, intelligent, charismatic... what...?" "Is there a problem, Detective?" "Yeah, how can someone be both charismatic AND quiet?" "You'll see."
Relationships: Carlton Lassiter/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 4





	1. Chapter 1

3425 Freedom Lane - 1:57 AM  
"You can't keep this up, Saoirse." "Says who? I'm fine, you don't need to worry about me." "But--" "Look, I have to go. Thanks for stitching me up. Again."

3425 Freedom Lane - 12:38 PM  
"Nine-one-one, what's your emergency?" "Please, come help!" "What's wrong, sir?" "I heard gunshots and screaming just a second ago next door, at 3423 Freedom Lane. I'm really worried about my neighbour!" "Please calm down, we'll send some units over now." "Th-thank you."

3423 Freedom Lane - 12:45 PM  
"S-she just pulled the gun on us suddenly, officer, it was completely unexpected!" The woman shakes violently, the picture of nerves and tension. The blonde detective asking the questions glances at her partner briefly. "And did you do anything to provoke that?" She asks the dark-haired woman kindly. "N-no, it was just so sudden and now--" She cuts herself off, sobbing, and looks at her husband's corpse and her daughter's unconscious body, her arm still outstretched toward the gun laying on the ground, three feet away from her.


	2. Chapter 2

3423 Freedom Lane - 12:46 PM  
A thud sounds from down the hall and the dark-haired detective looks in that direction quickly, starting toward the hall, his weapon in his hand.

The blonde looks down at the unconscious young woman, then at the gun, then back up at the woman. "Ma'am, if you'll come outside, we can have our medics take a look at you."

The young woman's eyes flutter open and she sits up slowly, wincing as she moves. The woman screams, seemingly terrified beyond comprehension, and moves as if to protect her face.

The blonde detective strides over to the young woman and hauls her to her feet by the arm; the dark-haired girl yelps, a pained look crossing her face, and looks at her left shoulder and torn, blood-stained shirt, then down at her right leg, where a similar tear in the fabric exists. "Miss O'Sullivan, you are under arrest for the murder of your father." She twists the girl's hands behind her back to cuff her and the girl screams, her pain evident in the sound, before clamping her mouth shut. The blonde's eyes narrow and she takes step forward, but the brunette doesn't move, looking at the floor and taking deep breaths. "Walk." The detective says, pushing the girl a bit; she falls over and the blonde catches her. The brunette glares at the woman, who is standing motionless by the door, her eyes wide. "Is there something wrong with your legs?" The blonde demands.

The brunette shakes her head slowly. "No. Just one leg, not both." "Well what's the problem?" The girl turns her gaze from the woman by the door to the detective, confused. "She shot me. In the leg, and in the shoulder." The blonde looks at the woman, raising an eyebrow, before looking over her shoulder at the hallway, where the dark-haired detective is glaring at a brown-haired male carrying a pineapple. He looks at the blonde, walking over quickly, a smile on his face. "Jules!" He says happily. "What's--" He cuts himself off, looking at the brunette, who gives him a small smile. "Hi, Shawn." "Saoirse..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I probably shoulda told you, the name Saoirse is pronounced "Seer-shuh." It's Irish (Celtic?) and a very pretty name.


	3. Chapter 3

"Jules, what's she doing in handcuffs?" Shawn asks, gesturing to the girl. "Well, she murdered her father, so--" "She did not!" He exclaims, looking a bit offended. "She hasn't even tried to tell us that she's innocent!" "That's because she's trying not to cry. Or, uh, scream. Maybe both." Saoirse grimaces, comfirming the sentiment, before going back to glaring at the woman by the door. Shawn follows her gaze. "Oh, is that why you left in such a hurry? Hello, Mrs. O'Sullivan!" He calls, waving. She rolls her eyes before quickly returning her gaze to Saoirse, looking scared and nervous.

"Shawn, we have a testimony from her mother--" "She is not my mother." Saoirse hisses quitely, glaring at the woman in question. "Fine. We have a testimony from the dead man's wife that this girl--" "Saoirse," Shawn interjects. "That Miss O'Sullivan killed her father with that gun!" He looks at the gun briefly before glancing at the couch. "Did she say where the gun came from?" "No, but she did say it was her daughter's." "Saoirse?" Shawn asks, looking at her. "I only have three guns. One is between the couch cushions, one is under my pillow in my bedroom, and one is in the cabinet below the sink in the kitchen." Shawn nods. "My dad and I helped her hide 'em." He looks over at the dark-haired detective. "Lassie, you wanna go check to see if the guns are there?" "We need to get any suspects down to the station, so why don't you and Detective O'Hara take a look and I will join you once the main suspects are safe in a cell."

"Suspect...s?" Shawn asks, looking confused. "Well, clearly the girl is a suspect, but the woman left some things out of the story, so she's a suspect, too." Saoirse watches him carefully as he walks over and the blonde- Juliet- moves aside. After a moment, she speaks up again. "Twenty-three." Both detectives look confused; Juliet turns her gaze to Shawn and Lassiter asks Saoirse, "Excuse me?" "I'm twenty-three. Not a girl, alough the term is often incorrectly used to describe a female of any age." A small smile forms on his face. "Fine. Young woman?" She holds his gaze for a moment before looking at the floor. "Sure," she mutters before falling silent again.

Shawn looks between them, confused. "What just happened?" "She made a valid point and I came to a reasonable agreement. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have suspects to escort." He starts leading Saoirse to the door, but she doesn't move; he turns around, ready to criticize her, and Juliet steps forward. "Um, Detective, Mrs. O'Sullivan shot her in the leg and the shoulder," she says, gesturing to the holes in Saoirse's clothes. "Wha- why haven't you taken her to see a medic?!" He asks, shocked. "She can't walk and I'm not strong enough to carry her." "Actually..." Saoirse speaks up again. "I, uh, dont weigh all that much." Lassiter looks at her. "Well, how much do you weigh?" He asks bluntly. "Uhm." She glances at Shawn nervously before looking at the ground and mumbling something. "Speak up," Lassiter says, folding his arms. She flinches and her gaze flicks up to his face before returning to the tiles beneath her feet. "Seventy-seven pounds." Juliet looks at the girl. "Oh. Yeah, I can lift that," she says, looking at Lassiter, then over at Shawn, who looks worried. "Saoirse--" "I'm fine, don't worry about me," The brunette says, giving him a smile.


	4. Chapter 4

"Saoirse, you' re five foot six!" She looks at Shawn. "Yeah. And?" "That is just... not healthy. Here. Eat this pineapple." He holds the fruit in question out to her and she looks at it briefly. "'M not hungry," she mutters, looking at the floor as Juliet unlocks the handcuffs. She hisses as her arm moves again, her pain showing on her face briefly before she takes a beep breath. A voice calls Shawn from the doorway and he turns to face them. Saoirse's gaze flicks up to see who it is and raises her head. "Gus!" Shawn calls back, waving him over. "Come say hi!" Gus comes over quickly. "Shawn, what's Lassiter doing here?" He asks quickly. "Well, it appears a friend of ours may have killed her father, but the spirits say she didn't do it."

Gus looks at him incredulously, then smiles at the brunette. "Hello, Saoirse." She smiles back. "Hi, Gus." "You look pale. Well, more pale than normal. Are you feeling alright?" She nods and Shawn interjects again. "It's blood loss, and if Lassie won't carry you to the ambulance, I will," he says, picking her up bridal style. She protests, yelling at him to put her down as he carries her out the door and over to the ambulance waiting on the curb. Gus follows, watching as Sawn sets the brunette down in the ambulence. "I think that's the loudest I've ever heard your voice go, Saoirse," he says with a small smile. "Yeah, maybe I should pick you up more often," Shawn agrees. She rolls her eyes playfully, then sits up straight. "Oh, right, Shawn, ask Leo to talk to those detectives!" She says before the medics in the vehicle get to work.

Lassiter walks over and looks at Shawn. "Who's Leo?" He asks, watching the doors close and the vehicle pull out onto the street. "Her neighbour... he lives right over there, at-- well, would ya look at that!" He exclaims, putting his hands in his pockets and turning to face the house next door and the blonde man running over from next door. "Shawn!" He calls, looking a bit panicked. "Hey, Leo!" Shawn calls back, waving. "Where's Patrick?" he asks, looking at Leo's house. "Shawn, where's Saoirse?" "Oh, she's in that ambulance," Shawn says, turning to look at the rapidly retreating vehicle. Leo's face goes white. "I-is she..." "I... am not sure. But I think she'll be alright." "Shawn, there was blood all over the carpet!" "What an acute observation, Gus. Well done. You do realize that most of it- or- at least some of it- was her father's, right?" The blonde male interjects. "I'm sorry, she was bleeding? How?!" "Oh, her- ah... Mrs. O'Sullvan... shot her." "Again?"

Lassiter steps forward. "I'm... sorry, has something like this happened before?" Leo nods. "Yeah, about a month ago. She took a knife to the poor girl- er- young woman- this morning at about midnight, she stopped by my place and Patrick stitched her up at around two o'clock am." "Do you know why she would've done that?" "Come to my place?" "No, why her mother-" Shawn elbows him, effectively cutting him off. Lassiter glares at him before continuing. "Why Mrs. O'Sullivan might've done that?" "Yeah, she hates Saoirse." "Do you know why?" "Well, that's the thing, from what I've heard and seen, they'd both been whaling on her since she was a kid." "Do you think Miss O'Sullivan would've killed her father?" A confused look forms on Leo's face. "Her dad died about twenty years ago." "Well, then, who's that guy laying dead in the living room?" Lassiter asks. "Mister O'Sullivan, who else?" Leo replies, getting more and more confused by the minute. "So I'm going to ask you again, do you think that Miss O'Sullivan would've killed her father?" Leo looks at him for a moment, completely lost, and then straightens up. "Oh! You mean Saoirse! She doesn't go by O'Sullivan anymore. Or, she does, but only legally. She took Henry's last name, seeing as he was more of a father than that bastard ever was," he says, glowering at the house. "So what is her last name?" Lassiter asks, annoyed. Shawn speaks up again. "She is practically my sister. Hence the, uh, pineapple," he says, looking at the fruit in his hand. Leo nods. "She goes by Saoirse Spencer." Lassiter rolls his eyes. "Of course she does. Why wouldn't she?" "Well, she almost took the chief's last name, but she ended up deciding that she had enough on her plate as it was... Anyway, Lassie, you go back to the station and talk to the chief, she'll tell you how much Saoirse admires her."

"You," Lassiter says, ignoring Shawn and turning to Leo. "You said her parents abused her when she was a kid?" He asks. Leo nods. "So would Miss... Spencer... have killed her father because she was resentful?" Leo shakes his head. "No, she wouldn't kill anyone. Maybe a punch or a broken bone here or there, but she's not a killer." Shawn and Gus nod in agreement. "Well, she was the only one with any motive, so--" "Actually, Saoirse recently found out that he was having an affair, and I can imagine that Mrs. O'Sullivan would've been pretty upset."

Juliet comes out of the house and strides over to where the group is standing by the curb. "We found three guns, all hidden exactly where she said they would be; the gun on the floor isn't hers." "Thanks, Jules," Shawn says, looking at her. "So the murder weapon is not hers and, while she has motive, it would appear that no one thinks it was her." Shawn's phone rings and he answers it immediately. "Hello? Yeah, I'm over there right now. What? Wait, wait, slow down. Yes, he's here, too. You... I'm sorry, can you repeat that? Alright, alright, geeze!" He lowers the phone from his ear. "Lassie, he wants to talk to you," He says, holding the phone out to the detecive; he takes it cautiously. "Hello?... Yes. Yeah, they just took her to the hospital. No, her mother--... Mrs. O'Sullivan. Shot her. Twice... Did you have anything helpful to say?... Yeah, that's what Shawn, Gus, and her neighbour said, too. Really? Well, that is helpful. Okay."

He hands the phone back to Shawn, then turns to Juliet. "Forget about the girl--" "Young woman." Gus and Leo correct him simultaneously. He glares at them, then continues. "Forget about Miss Spencer. Mrs. O'Sullvan is our prime suspect." Juliet nods, then walks over to the woman. Shawn hangs up the phone. "Well, this has been a very productive day. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go visit my sister. She's in the hospital and I'm worried she might not pull through. Although. She is the most stubborn person you'll ever meet, so who knows? She may just defy death himself." He turns and starts walking toward Gus' car. "Gus?" He calls over his shoulder; the male nods to the two remaining men and follows Shawn quickly. "I'm driving," Gus calls after Shawn, walking a bit faster to catch up.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrght, now that we've got the background done, we can get started with the rest of the story, which will be in first person, Saoirse's perspective.

I don't remember much... just drifting in and out of darkness, out of the blackness of the ocean, only to find that the sky had turned red and all the world was water. Then I'd get pulled back down again, unable to see anything. That's when the nightmares started. The biting, clawing, stinging nightmares that appeared out of the dark with their glowing yellow eyes. And the voices. The ceaseless whispers that tormented me, pushing me farther and farther down, chaining me to the sea floor, until I couldn't even see the red of the sky anymore and all there was was darkness. And nightmares.

Then The Voice showed up. It spoke softly, and with every word it spoke, the chains broke a little more. The darkness retreated a little more. The nightmares fled from the sudden light. There was another voice- not a nice one like The Voice- but another one nonetheless. It said I was in a coma. I wanted to scream, wanted to tell them I was right there. But nothing happened. No one responded. I remained alone. The Voice would go away every now and then, but it would always come back.

Until it stopped coming back. The darkness returned. The nightmares ruled my waking sleep. Then, one day, a little girl showed up, an aura of soft pink light surrounding her. I tried to tell her to run, to get away. But the nightmares shied away from the light surrounding her. She walked over to me and knelt down beside me, acting as a ward against the nightmares. They still attacked me, but only from the other side, and not quite as harshly. About an eternity later, two more figures stepped from the gloom; a girl with dark red hair and a girl with hot pink hair, both emitting a sift red glow. One sat beside me an one sat behind me. Surrounded by the girls' glows, the nightmares left entirely alone. The girls talked to me, and every time I responded, they would smile and their auras would grow, until soon, they were stronger than The Voice. They helped me realize that the darkness was insubstantial.

That I had created it.

And that I could escape it.

\---Twelve years later---

"Shawn, I don't-- WHAT is that?! Don't touch me! Hey-- Shawn, stop him!" He grabs the doctor's arm and says, "Yeah, she, uh, doesn't like needles." "We need to administer this anesthetic so we can get the bullets out!" He sighs. "Yeah, she doesn't like sleeping either. Is there any other way?" He asks. The doctor shakes his head. Shawn sighs again. "Saoirse--" "Yeah, I know... just. Hurry up."

I closed my eyes, trying to ignore the prick in my arm as he inserts the needle and the numb feeling spreading through my consciousness as the anesthetic starts to work. I fight it for a minute until Shawn tells me to relax. Then I'm gone. Back in the sea, surrounded by nightmares. And darkness. The girls - who I've named Niamh, Ciara, and Aoife - come running over, their faces radiant with joy, and embrace me tightly. "Saoirse, you came back to see us!" I laugh happily for the first time in a long time. "I missed you guys! It's been so long since I last saw you!" We sit down and they start talking, telling me how they'd been, and we sit there, talking and laughing just like twelve years ago.

All too soon, i start to float up off the floor and I feel panic show on my face. The red-haired girl, Niamh, stands up and grabs my hands quickly to pull me back down to the sea floor, but her feet quickly leave the sand. "Ciara!" She calls to the pink-haired girl, who quickly grabs a hold of Niamh's hand. She gets lifted, too, and Aoife grabs a hold of Ciara's hand, pulling on her arm; my hand slips out of Niamh's and I shoot to the surface. The water breaks over my--

\-----

I shoot upright in my bed, wincing at the sudden movement and suppressing a yelp at the pain. Henry stands up from the chair next to my bed. "Saoirse, are you in pain? I'll call a nurse!" He says, pushing a button, looking worried. The door opens and Shawn walks in. "Saoirse!" He exclaims, rushing over. "Are you alright?" I nod. "I-I'm... fine," I says, looking around. "Lay down, Saoirse," Henry says, nervously. I shake my head. "I'm fine, I just--" "No, if the nurse finds out you were sitting up, he'll kill us and then those detectives will have to arrest another murderer." I nod slowly and lay back down, being careful of my shoulder. The door opens and the nurse comes in. "There's a gentleman in the foyer waiting to come visit this girl. Can I ask one of your to leave?" He says, looking between Shawn and Henry.

Henry stands up. "I'll go so Gus can come in, but you're leaving next time, Shawn." He nods and Henry sighs and walks out. About five minutes later, Gus comes barrelling into the room. "Saoirse, are you alright?" He asks, out of breath. "Yes, why is everyone so worried?!" I reply, incredulous. Shawn smiles. "There's the Saoirse we know and love. So I thought you might want to know, they've made some headway with the case; apparently Mrs. O'Sullivan's storry had a bunch of holes in it, so be prepared for Juliet to show up to ask you some questions one of these days." "Okay," I responded quitely. Gus looks at Shawn. "What about Lassiter?" "What about Lassie?" "Well, isn't it his case?" "Oh. Gus is correct, this is Lassie's case, so expect him to come ask you some questions. Although. He does normally put that sort of thung on Juliet, so she'll probably be the one to come ask you questions, I was right in the first place and that entire detour was a waste of time," he sums up, looking at Gus, who nods in agreement. The door opens and the nurse walks back in. Um, there's a man and a woman out in the foyer claiming they're and asking to come into this room... I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"Shawn, don't leave me with them," I say, panicked, without thinking. He thinks for a minute. "Alright. Gus, why don't you go down to the foyer and get Lassiter up here." He frowns and opens his mouth to protest when shawn holds up a hand and say, "You're right, this'll only work if I'm not here to interrupt him. You stay, I'll go." He strides out of the room, leaving me with Gus and the nurse, who quickly excuses himself and leaves. Gus sits in the chair next to me silently, looking around.

"At least your room is nice...?" He says, sounding a bit unsure. I can't help but give him a small smile. "You kiddin'? This is... the most boring room I've ever been in," I say playfully, laughing. He joins in and we keep talking until the door opens again; I immediately fall silent and turn to see who it is.

"Miss Spencer." "Detective... uh. I'm afraid I never caught your name," I say apologetically, watching him warily as he closes the door behind himself. "Lassiter. I'm just here to ask a few questions, if you don't mind," he says, his gaze unwavering. I shake my head slowly. "Ask away. Not much else for me to do here." Gus smirks and I have to fight to keep my face blank. "What happened two days ago?" He asks bluntly.

"Um. Let's see... I... got up at one thirty-seven, found my parents in my kitchen, got into a fistfight that quickly tuned into a knifefight, finally kicked them out about one fifty-ish, ran over to my neighbour's, Leo was asleep so Patrick opened the door and he's the one that ended up stitching me up. Uh, went back home, watched some Knight Rider until the sun came up, got dressed, went for a run, went to the gym, went back home to take shower, got dressed for work. Then the doorbell rang at about noon, so I answered it and Shawn and Gus were there, Shawn had a pineapple, I let them in and they sat on my couch in my living room, there was another knock at the door so I checked to see who it was and ended up locking Shawn and Gus in my bedroom before I answered the door. The O'Sullivans came inside, sat on my couch. Uh, I went to go get them some water and then... mmh, it's not super clear... I... came back from the living room..." The memories are getting a bit fuzzy now. "The... she was standing by the tv... she had a gun. There was a shot. And the sound of glass shattering. Someone screamed... Mighta been me, coulda been her. Uhm. She was yelling something... at Randy- er- Mr O'Sullivan... And I rushed her... Grabbed the gun... couldn't move my arm." It's getting harder and harder to think, to remember... if I could just remember. "Uh. I... I was... on the floor...? And I stood up... There was another shot. And then I..." I can't think. I can feel the detective's gaze boring into me, Gus's hand on mine. "I... don't remember. It just... goes black."

The detective nods slowly. "Well, that's probably where you passed out." Gus frowns at him. "Can you remember anything else, Miss Spencer?" Lassiter asks, his hands in his pockets. I open my mouth to respond and Gus stands up. "Alright, that's enough. She needs sleep and you aren't helping." "Wh- I have more questions!" "You can ask them later. Out!" He pushes Lassiter out the door and closes it behind the detective.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pronunciations:
> 
> Niamh. (Neev)  
> Ciara. (Key-ra)  
> Aoife. (Ee-fa)


	6. Chapter 6

Gus looks at me. "Are you alright, Saoirse?" I nod. "I'm fine," I say, giving a smile. He just looks at me skeptically, then pulls out his phone and calls Shawn. "Shawn, he left. I mean, yeah. It's Lassiter. Okay. Alright, fine. I don't wanna be the one to tell her, though." "Gus." He avoids my gaze. "Gus, tell me what?" "Gus, I swear--" He hangs up the phone. "I gotta go, I'll be back later," he says quickly leaving the room. "Gus!" I call after him, scowling when the door closes without a response.

I sit there, silent, until the door opens; I turn to face it and watch, confused as the detective from before- Lassiter, I believe- walks in, closely followed by-- "Karen!" I exclaim, smiling. She returns the smile. "Are you feeling any better, Saoirse?" She asks, not unkindly. "Um. Yeah..." I say, my gaze flickering to the detective standing in the corner before returning to the chief in front of me. "Detective Lassiter, do you want to express your concerns?" "Not really," he says, shaking his head a bit.

I can't help but snicker as the chief glares at him and he stands up a bit straighter, nodding. "But, uh, I mean, sure." He takes a breath, then looks at me. "Mrs. O'Sullivan is our main suspect for the murder of her husband, but we can't ensure that she'll go to jail for that unless we have some concrete evidence." My gaze flickers to Karen before returning to Lassiter. "But, regardless of that, she'll still be going to jail." I can feel a confused look forming on my face. "Um. Why?" I ask, puzzled. "Mr. and Mrs. O'Sullivan have been charged with child abuse," he says bluntly. I nod.

"That... actually makes sense. So... what you're saying is that if I could get you some concrete evidence, you could arrest her for murder." He nods. "That's... part of it, yes." "So I'm gonna need my phone. And a glass of water 'cause I am... severely dehydrated." I pause to reach over and hit the button to call the nurse, then turn back to the detective and the chief. "But, more importantly, my phone." Karen nods and heads toward the door; after a moment, Lassiter follows her.


	7. Chapter 7

The door stays closed for about ten minutes, then swings open, allowing Detective Lassiter and Shawn to come into the room; Lassiter holds out my phone and I grab it slowly. "Thanks," I mutter, opening it. I suppress a sigh when I see that it's dead. I ask Shawn if he has a charger; he shakes his head. "No, not on me... sorry." "It's fine, I'll just... ask Gus, I guess." After a moment, the detective holds out his hand again. "I have a charger, I'll plug it in for a bit and bring it back." I hesitate for a moment, then hand my phone back to him. "Be careful with it, please. I don't have the money to get another one." He nods, then puts it in his pocket and turns to walk out. I watch him carefully as he walks out the door, closing it behind him.

Shawn raises an eyebrow. "How'd you do that?" I look at him, confused. "What?" "Get him to like you! He hates Gus and me." I can't help but smile. "Maybe it's because I'm not an oboxious loudmouth," I suggest, not taking my eyes off of his. He nods. "Alright, sure, so that sour, by-the-book man likes quiet people. I just thought he didn't like anyone. Except strong women," he says, looking out the window. I raise an eyebrow. "Excuse me?" "What?" He asks, turning to face me.

"Did you just call me weak? I'll have you know I am far stronger than you in some aspects." "You mean in Star Wars and Star Trek and all those other nerd things?" "Well... yes, but I meant emotionally." He hesitates for a moment, then nods slowly. "Alright, I'll give you that," he says, coming to sit by me. I smile as he settles into the chair by my bed. "Now get some sleep." I make a face before closing my eyes. I lay there for about ten minutes before sighing and opening them again, looking over at Shawn, who's already fast asleep. "Aww~... If only it were that easy..." I mutter, looking around my room.

The door opens a few minutes later and I have to supress the urge to roll my eyes. No one walks in right away, but I can hear people talking outside. The detective walks in, closely followed by another officer. "Miss Spencer, I charged your phone for a bit and found a message with a direct threat on your life, so the chief has decided to bring some officers over to keep you safe. This is-- I... I'm sorry, is Spencer sleeping?" I look over at Shawn before returning my gaze to the detective. "It appears that way, yes," I say quietly, my gaze flicking to the officer standing by Lassiter. "Right, this is Officer McNab, he'll be on guard first and then we'll send over someone else when his shift is over." I glance at McNab warily, then look back at the detective. "Wait, are they counting him as a visitor?" I ask, a bit of panic creeping into my voice before I can restrain it. "No, he's strictly here for security," Lassiter says. I nod slowly.

"Can I ask who sent the message?" I ask quietly. "There wasn't a name, just a number." "What was the number?" I ask, not breaking eye contact. He hesitates for a moment, then pulls out my phone and hands it to me. I make a face when I see the number. "That's, uh, Penelope," I say. "She's Peter and Partrick's sister." "Patrick... your neighbour, Patrick." I nod. "Yeah, Leo owns the house, Patrick is his husband, and, uh, Penelope is Patrick's sister. She... really doesn't like me for some reason," I say quietly before opening my phone and dialling a number, holding it up to my ear.

"Hi... um, this is Saoirse Spen-- um. O'Sullivan..." I says the name tasting sour on my tongue. "Yes. I never finished the setup, how do I access the records?... Uh-huh... yes... okay. Thanks. Thank you, you too." I hang up quickly. "Okay, go to my house, log onto my laptop, and click on the link in my email. That'll take you to the recordings from te cameras. Then all you need to do is find the recording from whenever they were there." "You... have security cameras." The detective says, folding his arms. "Yeah. I'm sorry I never told you before now I just couldn't find the right time..." I say quietly, looking down at my hands. "It's fine. At least we know now," He says, walking out quickly; I look up at watch him walk out, then look over at Shawn. "Thanks for all your brotherly love and support, I mutter to the sleeping male before sighing and turning to face my wall again. "Can I help you with something, officer?" I ask McNab quietly. "Oh! Please, call me Buzz. And, uh, I was just wondering, is he really your brother? You look similar enough that he could be but you never know, and then you said your last name was O'Sullivan, not Spencer, so I was just wondering..." I can't help but smile. "He's not actually my brother, but him and his dad are the closest thing I've had to family, so..." I trail off as the door opens and Detective Lassiter walks back in. He walks straight over to my bedside and holds out his phone to me; I look at it, confused. "I was just wondering if I could, um, have your phone number. So I don't have to keep coming back here and bothering you every time we find something." I look from his face to his phone and stare at it for a bit before slowly reaching out to grab it. I put my name and phone number in and hand it back to him. "Thank you," he says, walking out again. I watch him go, confused. The officer- McNab... or, uh... Buzz- watches the detective leave, then looks at me. "You look confused," he says. I nod. "I guess I just... don't understand how he expects to be able to call me when he only charged my phone to five percent and it's going to die again any second now," I say, feeling a small smile form on my face. "Oh, well, I have a charger you can borrow if you want," he offers, shrugging. I shake my jead. "Thank you, but no. I've never really liked talking on the phone anyways." He nods, then looks at the door. "Well, I'm gonna go stand outside," He says, walking out the door quickly.

"That might have to have been... The most confusing thing that's ever hapmened to anyone," Shawn says from beside me, stretching. "You weren't asleep," I say, shaking my head. "Why'd you give Lassie your phone number?" He asks, standing up. "He brought up a valid point. It's far less effective to go back and forth to and from the hospital. And because why not? And, uh, what do you care? You're not in charge of me." He sighs and looks at the door. "Look, all I'm saying is be careful, alright? Don't just give yor number out to anyone. You're a smart, talented, beautiful young woman and I would hate it if anything happened to you," he says before turning and walking out the door, closing it behind him.


	8. Chapter 8

I look at my phone as it goes off, narrowing my eyes at the unknown nuber, and ignore it, turning back to Patrick. "Sorry, what were you saying?" "Oh, I was just asking how work was going." I shrug and look down at my hands. "I mean, it's alright, but I'm not a fan of the people that go through," I say quietly before looking back up at him.

"But what about you? How's everything? You know, with work and school and Penelope and Leo and everything?" I ask him; he stands up and puts his hands in his pockets. "Work is work... and, uh, I'm doing well in school, getting good grades and all that. Penelope is off house arrest next week, so that's... that's good. And Leo..." He trails off, looking out the window, and I'm immediately suspicious. When he doesn't start talking again, I find my gaze wandering to the door, where Buzz is standing outside. "I'm afraid I think Leo might be having an affair," He says eventually, turning to look at me. I open my mouth to respond when the door opens and Buzz comes in.

"Hey, Saoirse, um, Detective Lassiter said he tried to call you and you didn't answer," he says, looking apologetic for barging in. "Oh," I say, looking down at my phone. "Should I call him back or..." "I think he just wants you to know that he'll be calling again soon," he says, glancing at Patrick. "If you're not too, busy, that is," he adds. "Alright, I'll be sure to answer it next time," I say with a small smile. "Thank you, Buzz." He smiles and nods before leaving.

I turn back to Patrick. "Sorry, what were you saying?" "I think Leo might be having an affair," he says, looking at the floor. "Patrick... you know that's ridiculous, right? He loves you more than anything and nothing will ever change that." He looks up at me, torn. "Alright, fine. Let's humour that idea for just one moment. Do you have a name or a description or anything?" He nods slowly, his gaze back on the floor.. "Yeah, I have a name." "Really? I... did not expect that. Alright, then, who is it?" He looks at me and I can see the anger in his eyes. "Saoirse Spencer."


	9. Chapter 9

I can't help but laugh as he glares at me, honestly thinking that I've been messing with his husband. "Look... Patrick, Leo... sorry I laughed. Uh, Leo is my--" "I know! he's your boyfriend! Just stop, already!" "Wh-- No, Patrick, he's my--" I'm cut off when my phone rings; I look at it and reach for it. "DON'T!" Patrick yells, brandishing a knife. I sigh and look at the phone. I let my eyes widen as I look at Lassiter's number. "It's Leo. Trust me, if I don't answer this, he'll know something's wrong and come running." Patrick hesitates for a moment, then nods; I answer the phone quickly.

"Hey, Leo." The detective's voice comes from the other end of the line. "What're you--" "Yeah, Patrick's here. Did he not text you to tell you he got here safe?" I lower the phone and look at Patrick. "You should keep your loved ones updated so they don't worry about you," I say quietly before raising the phone to my ear. "We're a block away. Keep him occupied until we get there. Is he armed?" "Aw, you're coming to visit me? Bring a cake! They haven't let me have any chocolate." "So... he has a knife." "Exactly!... or somethin like that... They don't really tell me anything, ask them when you get here." "We're pulling into the parking lot now, I'll call McNab." "Alright, I'll see you soon, Leo," I say, hiding my nerves. "Bye." I hang up and set the phone on the stand.

"So you should probably know that--" "Enough! Look, I get it, alright? You're closer to my husband than I am." "PATRICK, HE'S MY COUSIN!" I yell, tired of his antics. "So quit whining." I glare at him, forgetting about the knife in his hand. Until he drives it into my stomach.


	10. Chapter 10

One thing I wish I'd known when I was in that coma was that Aoife, Ciara, and Niamh wouldn't come with me when I finally got out. Now they're with me whenever I fall asleep, but never around when I'm awake. I've figured them out by now. Ciara is the emotional one, the embodiment of my heart. Niamh is logical, the embodiment of my brain. And Aoife is the pretty one, the embodiment of my body. And my self-esteem, which is probably why she's so small. They listened as I explained it to me, nodding as I told each of them about herself, and when I was done, they vanished, their light surrounding me, until I was glowing bright as the midday sun. They had joined me in my existence, and we were one again. I wasn't alone anymore. Not then.

\--

The hospital room is dark when I wake up, wincing as I put my hand on my stomach, which is covered in tightly-wrapped bandages. I look around nervously, worried Patrick might still be here, only to find the room empty. I sigh and look around, bored. **"We should find something to do."** "Yeah..." I respond, pushing the button next to me.

A couple of minutes later, the door opens and a nurse comes in bearing a tray. "Are you hungry?" She asks sweetly, walking over to me quietly. _"No! Don't eat anything, it'll make us fat and then no one will like us!"_ "You're right... um, no thanks, I'm not very hungry," I say quietly, with a small smile. "Oh... well, then, can I send your friend up?" She asks, looking a bit disconcerted. "Um... I... have a friend?" I ask, thoroughly confused. "The man downstairs in the lobby? A dark-haired fellow, um, tall, blue eyes..." "Oh! You mean the detective. Yeah, you can... um." "Is there a problem?" "Yeah, isn't it really late?" "Yes." "So aren't visiting hours over?" "He... was rather adamant. Said he would sit there in the lobby all night if he had to." I feel my eyes widen. "Oh... well, he'll... probably only be here for around five minutes, so if you're okay with it..." She nods fervently and sets the tray she's been carrying on the nightstand next to me before walking out the door.

About five minutes later, the door opens again and Detective Lassiter walks in, looking tired. I watch as he stands there, just looking at me, for a few moments before I speak up. "Can I help you with something?" I ask quietly, not taking my eyes off his. He blinks and shifts his weight from one foot to the other, putting his hands in his pockets. "Uh, I just wanted to say..." He pauses for a moment, seemingly struggling with something. "I'm sorry," he says eventually, looking at the floor. _"He's kinda hot."_ **"Mmhmm..."** "Shut up." I hiss almost inaudibly, turning my head so my hair covers my face and my pink cheeks, staying in that position as I reply. "You have nothing to be sorry for." "It's my fault you were stabbed." I laugh, just once, and turn to look at him.

"How? It's my fault for spending so much time with Leo in the first place, and then for not stalling Patrick for longer when I hung up the phone. If it's anyone's fault, it's mine. You have nothing to feel bad about." "I accused you of murder." "I've been told I can be rather abrasive and threatening." He smiles and I feel the corners of my mouth lift. _"He has a nice smile."_ "So... you just came to apologize?" He opens his mouth and I speak again before he can get a word in. "Or you have questions for me. I favour the latter." He smiles again. "You caught me. I came to ask you a question." "Just one?" I ask, raising an eyebrow. He starts fidgiting, suddenly very interested in his hands. "Are you... do you..." He hesitates, then sighs and puts his hands in his pockets. "Do you have--" I cut him off smoothly. "I have six dogs that Henry agreed to take care of." He looks at me, confused. "How did you know--" "I was in your position once. There was this boy... I found out my friend liked him right when I was gonna ask him out and asked him if he had any pets instead. He looked at me like I was crazy and walked off. Never saw him or my friend again."

"Oh. Well... I guess that's everything," he says, looking disconcerted as he turns to walk out. "Um." He turns to look at me. "They're... letting me out in a few weeks. I'll be home on the twenty-second," I say quietly, looking down at my hands, then back up at him again. He hesitates for a minute, then nods. "I'll keep that in mind," he says before hurrying out the door. I sigh and look up at the ceiling, irritated that I couldn't be more confidant. The nurse comes back in a bit later, looking panicked. "Um, when was the last time you ate?" She asks nervously. I look at her, confused. "Um, I don't know. It's been a while." "What can I get you that you'll eat?" She asks, looking a bit worried." "I'm not really all that hungry, but if you insist, I... guess just a small salad." She nods and grabs the tray before leaving. The door opens thirty seconds later and Lassiter walks back in. "So, I was thinking, you can't leave and I have work but I could take tomorrow off and come have dinner with you?" He says all in one breath, withot looking at me. I can't help but smile. "Sure," I say quietly, looking at him. "Right. just thought I'd ask. Sorry to have bothered you," he says, walking out again. I wait, counting down from five in my head, and he comes back in when I get to one. "Did you say yes?" He asks incredulously. I nod, smiling. "Oh. Well, I'll see you tomorrow, then," he says before leaving again.


End file.
